Some embodiments described herein relate generally to optimizing wireless networks, and in particular, to methods and apparatus for improving coverage and capacity in wireless networks by automatically reconfiguring transmit power and antenna tilt of multiple network elements.
Some known wireless networks implement an automated system for network optimization, which adjust radio resources and network parameters to improve the overall network performance. Such systems, however, typically are not designed to continuously optimize coverage and capacity within the wireless network by automatically reconfiguring transmit power and antenna tilt of multiple network elements while limiting any decrease in network performance (e.g., due to interference between two antenna cells). Further, some known network optimization systems fail to suitably react and readjust to differences between planned coverage and capacity and actual (in use) coverage and capacity.
Accordingly, a need exists for methods and apparatus for automatically reconfiguring transmit power and antenna tilt of one or more network elements to improve the overall network performance of the wireless network.